Aitat, or Aytat ( ar, عيتات), is a town located west of the town of
Aley
Aley ( ar, عاليه) is a major city in Lebanon. It is the capital of the Aley District and fourth largest city in Lebanon.
The city is located on Mount Lebanon, 15 km uphill from Beirut on the freeway to Damascus. Aley has the nickn ...
within the
district of the same name in the
Lebanese governorate
A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...
of
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at .
Geography
The Mount Le ...
. It was a strategic place during the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
(1975–1990), due to its view to
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
.
History
In 1838,
Eli Smith
Eli Smith (born September 13, 1801, in Northford, Connecticut, to Eli and Polly (Whitney) Smith, and died January 11, 1857, in Beirut, Lebanon) was an American Protestant missionary and scholar. He graduated from Yale College in 1821 and from Andov ...
noted the place, called ''Aithath'', located in ''El-Ghurb el-Fokany'', upper ''el-Ghurb''.
[Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p]
191
/ref>
With its neighboring Christian town of Souk El-Gharb, this town remains one of the most memorable places in Lebanon for the Druze and the Christians as a reminder the fierce and deadly battles that occurred during the Lebanese Civil War. Today Aitat and Souk El-Gharb are considered to be the symbol of unity and forgiveness.
The Abi Saab's, Timani’s and Talhouq's, are the most well known families of Aitat and the Aley district.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Aaytat
Localiban
Populated places in Aley District
Druze communities in Lebanon
{{Lebanon-geo-stub